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University Honors Excellence

VALDOSTA -- At convocation Monday, Aug. 9, the Valdosta State
University community recognized five of its members with Faculty
and Staff Excellence Awards in honor of their outstanding
professional contributions.

A faculty committee representative of all VSU colleges and
divisions named four excellence award winners from a host of
colleagues who have received top honors in professional activity,
service, and teaching. A cross-sectional committee also selected
the Excellence in Service for Classified Staff Award
recipient.

Excellence in Professional Activity Awards: Dr. William James
Loughry, Department of Biology

Dr. William James Loughry, professor of animal behavior, has
produced 46 publications and served as a reviewer for 22 journals.
The leading expert on the nine-banded armadillo has been awarded
grants totaling nearly $59,000. Often working with his colleague
and wife, Dr. Colleen McDonough, Loughry has been invited to speak
about the pervasive species at two international symposia -- one at
Mendoza, Argentina, and another in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Loughry, who began teaching at VSU in 1991, has participated in
extensive research about bats and squirrels; but since the
mid-1990s, he has focused his efforts on the ecology and behavior
of the nine-banded armadillo -- a species that has colonized most
of the southeastern United States in less than 200 years. Loughry
has authored 32 publications about the insectivores, often
collaborating with colleagues throughout the world. His latest
book, which is still in press, explores the species’ microsatellite
markers of leprosy.

Excellence in Advising Award: Dr. Byron Brown, Department of
English

Colleagues know Dr. Byron Brown for his works about Edgar Allen Poe
and composition theory, but students appreciate the professor of
English for his thoughtful, thorough advising. Nomination letters
mentioned that Brown’s commitment to advising equals his dedication
to research and teaching. Brown likens mentoring students to the
often underappreciated work done behind the scenes.

“Like handymen and housekeepers, academic advisors perform obscure,
inglorious tasks. To the casual observer, they are nearly
invisible, working quietly and, for the most part, out of sight,”
said Byron, the former co-editor of Notes on Teaching. “But as any
homeowner with a dripping faucet or stopped shower can attest,
mundane tasks often possess a value inversely proportional to their
visibility or glamour. Departmental advising is no
exception.”

His advisees have said that Brown’s sincerity and organization has
helped them navigate through the sometimes overwhelming task of
mapping out the future. Brown works to establish trust with his
students by engaging in frequent communication and keeping up to
date with the latest course requirements.

Associate Professor Duke Guthrie wears many hats. He teaches
theatre management, voice and diction, and portfolio and resume
presentation for the Theatre and Dance Area; he serves as managing
director of Peach State Summer Theatre, a professional extension of
the VSU Theatre Program; and serves on a variety of regional and
national boards and conferences. As one colleague stated in a
recommendation letter, “Duke is a colleague who can be counted on.
He will be the first person to arrive, the last person to leave,
and the one who will carry the heaviest box to the car when it is
time to load up for a trip.”

Guthrie, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from
VSU, was instrumental in establishing biennial professional
connections trips for theater students. The trips to New York,
Chicago and Los Angeles offer networking opportunities and expose
students to audition master classes, backstage tours and dance
rehearsals.

“I understand the value of the rigorous education I received here
and the opportunities that education provided me,” said Guthrie,
who joined the VSU faculty in 1999. “My work and service efforts
are focused on building upon my experiences as a student here and
providing current and future students and our audiences the best
learning and entertainment experiences in a professional
manner.”

Guthrie, who previously worked for a theatrical general management
firm in New York, was absent from convocation on account of his
performance in Edinburgh, Scotland, with colleague and a previous
Faculty Excellence Award winner Catherine Schaeffer. The two are
performing a multimedia dance “Soul Descending” at the world’s
largest arts festival -- Edinburgh Festival Fringe, held Aug. 6-31.
Read more about their performance at http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/schaeffer.051810/
.

Excellence in Teaching Award: Dr. Lai Orenduff, Department of
Art

Dr. Lai Orenduff believes teaching should encourage students to
grow intellectually, emotionally, creatively, socially, ethically,
and spiritually. The associate professor of art said she enjoys the
process of introducing students “to the diversity of the world.”
Her students appreciate her progressive outlook.

“Each work was a new discovery waiting to be unearthed further,”
one student wrote in a nomination letter. “There was no subtext of
‘I’ve already done this a thousand times and am bored with it.’ She
made learning exciting again.”

Her colleagues agree that Orenduff, who specializes in modern art,
holds a true passion for her craft and sharing that enthusiasm with
others.

“This passion is contagious and it spreads in her classes from the
first moment her students meet with her,” a colleague writes. “It
inspires her students, motivates them for success, and models for
them an outstanding professional behavior which applied to any
field of human endeavor is sure to bring excellent results.”

As manager of manager of Campus Mail Services, Sharon Butcher is
dedicated to ensuring the upmost service so that students and
professionals may achieve their goals. She received more than seven
letters of nomination and support for recognition of her customer
service, strong leadership, and commitment to surpass basic job
expectations.

Butcher has woven herself into the fabric of VSU as part of the
Council on Staff Affairs (COSA). During the past five years,
Butcher has held the position of treasurer, public relations
officer, chair elect and chair. Even after her COSA term expired,
she has continued to be regarded as one of the organization’s most
active volunteers.

“Sharon exemplifies the quality of an outstanding dedicated leader,
who possesses personal integrity,” one colleague wrote. “I have
often admired her spirit in volunteering and her poise, no matter
how demanding or pressing the situation. Sharon is an inspiration
for her staff and for VSU in her dedication to VSU.”